Tidal motor



(NOMOde-l.)

T. As. SPEAKMAN.

` Tidal Motor.

No. 235,105. Patented Dec. 7,1880.

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPH ER, WASHINGTON. T)y C.

' UNrTen STATES PATENT Trace..

THOMAS S. SPEAKMAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TIDAL MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,105, dated December7, 1880.

Application tiled July 9, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS S. SPEAKMAN, acitizen ot' theUnited States, residing atPhiladelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State otl Pennsylvania, have-invented new and usefulImprovements in rlidal Motors,of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is avertical section ot' my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly insection, of the same; and Fig. 3 is an elevation of a modication of myinvention. l

My invention has for its object to provide mechanism whereby the riseand fall of the tide may be utilized to raise water in a standpipe orreservoir, said water being designed to be used as a motive power foroperating various kinds of machinery-as, for instance, to run theelectric machines in light-houses and to supply power for operating allother machinery contained in such places, or it may be used to runsaw-mills, or for any other available purpose.

Myinvention accordingly consists in the provision of a cylinder Or tankprovided with a piston, upon whose rod is secured a float eX- terior tosaid cylinder, the latter having pipeconnections with a reservoir orstand-pipe, and which are provided with suitable induction and eduetionvalves, whereby the ebb and flow of the tide will reciprocate the pistonto force water to said reservoir or stand-pipe, the water being forcedor pumped thereto both during the upward and downward movement of thepiston.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents a cylinder or othertank, ot' iron or other metal, supported upon piles or other suitablefoundations B B.

C is the cylinder-piston, having a rod, c, projecting through the lowerend, c, of said cylinder, and is provided with a oat, D, as shown, whichis held in position and moves up and down between the platform-posts bb, the iatter also serving as guides for said float to prevent thecurrent moving said iioat out Ot' line to strain the piston-rod.

E E are the induction-pipes, proceedingfrom the top ot' said cylinderand running down below the level of the lowest tide-water mark, so thattheir ends will always be immersed in water. Said pipes are providedwith branch pipes e e, which terminate in the lower end ot saidcylinder, and are each furnished with a coupling or enlarged chamber,c'. From the latter proceed pipes F F, passing up to the stand-pipe G,which is provided with a valve, g, as shown, at its connection with thecylinder A at g'. If desired, the pipes F F may be provided with valvesj' f at their terminations in the stand-pipe, so as to prevent any backflow or pressure of water therein from said standpipe. Vithin thecouplings c e are hinged valves e2 e2, which have one seat against thelower ends ofthepipes F F, as shown in Fig. 1, and another against theedge c3 ot' said couplings, as shown in Fig. 2. When said valves areseated against the ends ot' the pipes F F- they prevent water iowinginto or escaping. therefrom, and when seated against the edges c3 theystop the How of water to the branch pipes e efrom the induction-pipes EE.

H is an open-topped case secured to cylinder A, and receives stones orother weight, h, to hold said parts firmly upon the foundation B.

The operation is as follows: As the tide iiows in or out the oat iscaused to rise or fall, and, carrying with it the piston, the wateriiowing into the cylinder by the suction producedby the movement of saidpiston is thereby forced or pumped to the stand-pipe or reservoir. It',for example, the piston is ascending, as shown in, Fig. 1, the tidesupposed to be coming in, the valve g in the stand-pipe Gr opens and thevalves c2 c2 in the couplings seat themselves against the I lower endsof the Apipes F F to close the same and prevent water flowing thereintofrom the induction-pipes E E. Said water passes into the branches c e,and thence into cylinder A below its piston to till the vacuum caused byits partial ascent. As the latter moves upwardly the pressure of thewater above it, which iowed into said cylinder during the previousdescent of the piston, closes the valves e4 in the upper ends of thepipes E E; hence said water finds an exit only through the now openvalve g in the stand-pipe. When said piston has reached the limit of itsascent and all the water above it has been forced into the stand-pipethe valve g closes, and the tide now running out, the piston falls or islowered by the descent of the IOO float, whereupon the valves c2 e2 nowseat themselves against the edges c3 c3 of couplings e e', toopen.communication between the lower end ofthe cylinder and pipes F Fand to shut oli' the water-supply to the branches c c from theinduction-pipes E E. As the piston descends it forces the water beneathitthrongh branches e e, couplings c c, and pipes F F to the stand-pipeG, the valves ffopenlng under the pressure produced thereby. Meanwhilethe valves cLl cl open to allow water from the induction-pipes E E toilowinto the cylinder above the piston. As long as the tide rises orfalls thewater will be raised in the stand-pi pe, thereby providing acontinuous stream of water to be lifted, to be used as a motor, eitherby conducting it to any ofthe well-known forms of water or turbinewheelsbr to a hydraulic engine, to operate said devices torun allkindsof machinery used in light-houses, mills, or factories, or it may beused for any otherdesirable purpose.

In the application ot' my invention to oper- -ate the machinery inlight-houses it can advantageously be employed to run the electricmachine to generate electricity for the lamps, or turn the machinerywhich revolve said lamps to' produce iia-shing lights; or it may be usedto operate an elevator, or for any other known purpose to save labor insuch or other places. Any number of cylinders maybe employed, and theirpistons will discharge the water into a common stand-pipe or reservoir.It' desired, the stand-pipe may terminate in a reservoir, as shown inFig. 3, which also shows a modification of my invention wherein thecylinder Ais placed directly upon the sea or river bottom, with thefloat above the saine.

I l are the valved induction ports or pipes, one for the upper part ofthe cylinder and the other for the lower part thereof.

K K are the eduction-pipes, the former taking the water from the upperpart and the latter from the lower part of the cylinder. The pipe Kterminates within the coupling c', having valve e2, which operates inthis construction as already described. Vhen it seats itself against endof pipe K it opens communication between pipe K and standpipe L andallows the water below the piston C to iiow through stand-pipe L toreservoir M. l/Vhen seated against end of pipe K the passage is freebetween pipe L and pipe K, permitting water above the piston to tind itsway through pipe L to said reservoir.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A tidal motor consisting of acylinder or tank having a piston whose rod passes through one of theends of said cylinder or tank, and to the extremity of which is secureda oat, said cylinder or tank having suitable valved induction andeduction pipes, whereby the rise and fall of the tide will operate saidpiston to draw water into and force it out ot' said cylinder or tank,substantially as shown and described.

2. In a tidal motor, a cylinder or tank hav ing a piston and attachedoat, valved induction and eduction pipes, arranged substantially asshown and described, whereby the piston will operate to draw water intoand force it out ot' said cylinder or tank both on the upward anddownward movement ofthe piston, as set forth.

3. In a tidal motor, the combination of a cylinder or tank provided witha piston, tothe rod of which is secured aiioat exterior to said cylinderor tank, a reservoir or stand-pipe, and valvedinduction and eductionpipesinterposed between said cylinder or tank and stand-pipe,substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of cylinder A, piston C, oat D, and stand-pipe orreservoir G, and interposed valved induction and eduction pipes E F,substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this6th day of July, 1880.

- THOMAS S. SPEAKMAN. Witnesses J oHN M. RIDINes, JOHN CURTIS.

